This movie came out about 20 years ago, and as with most movies, I never saw it when it came out, being in the throes of young motherhood. I just discovered it a few weeks ago. I watched it last week on a night when I was feeling super grumpy. I wanted to decompress after a family-circus type day when something disastrous happened right before a big plane trip the next day. Sometimes you just need movies like this.

If you have read my blog for long you know that I yearn for and enjoy watching movies about marriage. Movies that celebrate marriage for what God intends it to be. I’ve found some that do this, you can see my list here.

This movie isn’t about that. It is about romance though. It’s about a woman who wants to be married but has bad judgment in dating men. It stars Hillary Duff as the female lead, a teen daughter who decides to take over control of her mother’s unlucky love life to find the perfect man for her mom. Heather Locklear is the mom.

It’s entertaining and has some moments for thinking about what makes a perfect couple, so it’s not pure fluff. The acting is great, and I enjoyed it for the most part. I didn’t enjoy the common action in many popular plots. This is where the main character causes mayhem including property damage and a destroyed marriage, and then isn’t shown having to pay the consequences, ever. Not to mention lying for most of the movie! So that for those reasons I give out 3 out of 5 stars. So, if you can get past that, and if you are in the mood for some escapism but still want a movie about searching for marriage, sacrificial motherhood, and strengthening mother- daughter bonds, you might enjoy it. I loved that the mom acknowledges that she wouldn’t give her daughters up for anything and doesn’t regret sacrificing her dream career for her children.

Watch below, or on YouTube here.